I’m a solo creator, and I built Humoropedia GPT — a ChatGPT-based tool for generating jokes, short stories, definitions, and short social scripts.
I originally planned to launch it on Product Hunt in late December.
Then I looked at the calendar… and realized I was about to do the indie-maker equivalent of releasing a new iPhone inside an elevator while everyone is wearing earbuds.
So I made a strategic choice: I postponed the Product Hunt launch to early January.
This post explains why that decision makes sense (especially for solo makers who need momentum), and it includes launch timing tips you can steal for your own Product Hunt launch.
The product is already live to try: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-LonJsyPin-humoropedia-gpt-story-image-generator
Why late December is a trap (even if competition looks lower)
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: between Christmas and New Year, attention gets weird.
People aren’t in their normal patterns. They’re traveling, recovering, cooking, bingeing, doomscrolling… and mostly not doing the kind of intentional “click → read → comment → upvote” behavior you need on Product Hunt.
Even if some people have free time, the type of attention is different:
- Short bursts
- Low follow-through
- Less commenting
- Less “let me log in and support this maker” energy
If your primary goal is Day-1 upvotes + comments, you want the opposite:
- predictable routines
- work browsers open
- maker communities active
- people willing to click and do the extra step (comment, upvote, share)
Late December can absolutely work for some launches — especially if:
- you already have a large audience that will show up no matter what
- your product is directly holiday-relevant
- you’re fine with “quiet but steady” instead of “spiky and viral”
But if you’re solo and trying to manufacture momentum, the holiday window is risky.
“But big tech doesn’t launch then either.” Exactly.
One reason I stopped trusting my late-December plan: major players tend to time announcements when media and users are paying attention.
You’ll notice a pattern:
- lots of big announcements before the holiday break
- a lull during Christmas → New Year
- a noticeable ramp after people return
This isn’t a coincidence. It’s a strategic choice.
When attention fragments, coverage fragments.
When coverage fragments, momentum fragments.
And momentum is the currency of Product Hunt.
I’m not claiming I’m Apple. I’m saying I’m borrowing the logic Apple uses: launch when attention is concentrated, not scattered.
The Product Hunt reality: you’re competing for attention, not just rank
A lot of Product Hunt advice is framed like a sports bracket:
- “Launch on a day with less competition!”
- “Pick a quiet day and you’ll rank higher!”
That can be true if your goal is the leaderboard position itself.
But my goal is more specific:
- maximize Day-1 upvotes
- maximize Day-1 comments
- trigger a “people are talking about this” loop
That requires traffic + engagement, not just a quieter lane.
In other words:
- “Less competition” isn’t automatically good
- “More attention” often wins
Late December gives you “less competition” and also “less attention.”
That’s not the best trade if you’re chasing viral momentum.
Why I chose early January
There’s an argument that the second week of January is best because people are fully back in routine. It's mostly right. That's why I chose January 10th as the launch day.
Humoropedia GPT aside: why this matters more for a “fun” product
Humor products live and die on shareability.
If people see something funny, they don’t just upvote — they comment, tag, repost, DM it.
But that only happens if people are actually in “I’m online and participating” mode.
Holiday attention is often “passive consumption.”
Product Hunt rewards “active participation.”
So for Humoropedia GPT, timing matters extra.
Product Hunt Launch Timing Tips (for solo makers who need Day-1 energy)
Below are the practical tips I’m using for the rescheduled launch.
Some are obvious.
The point is to stack them until they’re unfair.
Tip 1: Choose a date when your supporters are awake and at their keyboards
This sounds silly until you remember:
- an upvote requires effort
- a comment requires effort
- sharing requires effort
You want people in “work-mode” or “maker-mode,” not “holiday couch mode.”
If you have a mostly US-based network, early January weekdays tend to beat the late-December window.
Tip 2: The first hours matter more than the last half of the day
Product Hunt is a 24-hour race.
The early hours set the tone:
- early upvotes help visibility
- visibility drives more organic upvotes
- early comments make the launch look alive (which attracts more comments)
So instead of thinking “I have all day,” think:
“I have a few hours to build a snowball.”
Tip 3: Don’t try to be clever with timing — lean into the platform’s structure
There’s a temptation to “outsmart the system” by launching later in the day.
But Product Hunt has a fixed daily cycle.
The smarter move isn’t a sneaky time.
The smarter move is:
- show up prepared
- rally supporters early
- respond fast
- keep the comment thread alive
Tip 4: Write your Product Hunt copy like a movie trailer, not a README
A lot of launches read like:
“Here are features. Here are more features.”
Instead, write like:
- what problem does this solve?
- what’s surprising about it?
- why should I care today?
For Humoropedia GPT, the hook isn’t “it generates text.”
The hook is:
“it produces publishable absurdity fast — stories, definitions, and social scripts — and it’s designed to be shared.”
Tip 5: Give people a ridiculously easy way to help
People want to support makers.
They just don’t want homework.
So the outreach ask should be:
- short
- clear
- one action
Examples:
- “If you like it, leave a quick comment — even ‘Congrats!’ helps a lot.”
- “If you try it, reply with the funniest output you got.”
The simpler the action, the more likely they do it.
Tip 6: Pre-write “comment starters” for your own thread
If you’re solo, you can’t rely on a team to keep the thread alive.
So pre-plan a few discussion sparks you can post during the day, like:
- “What’s the funniest use case you’ve seen for AI so far?”
- “If you could generate one ‘absurd definition’ for a tech word, what would it be?”
- “Should AI tools optimize for productivity… or for creativity?”
This turns your launch into a conversation, not a billboard.
Tip 7: Outreach timing: don’t DM everyone at once
If you blast 50 messages in a single hour, you get:
- delayed replies
- clumped engagement
- and you burn your own energy
Better approach:
- send in waves
- prioritize the warmest contacts early
- keep a few “likely responders” in reserve for later
That way you can create multiple mini-surges throughout the day.
Tip 8: Treat “comment quality” as a growth lever
A Product Hunt thread where the maker is present and funny is a different product.
For a humor tool, I’m leaning into:
- playful replies
- short jokes
- quick gratitude
- screenshots of strange outputs (where appropriate)
The vibe matters.
Tip 9: Your launch goal should be a behavior, not a number
Numbers are motivating, but they’re lagging indicators.
The behavior goal is:
- get people to try the product
- get them to comment a real reaction
- get them to share one funny output
If you get that loop going, upvotes usually follow.
The real reason I postponed: I want a fair test
If Humoropedia GPT wins or fails, I want it to be because:
- the idea resonated (or didn’t)
- the positioning worked (or didn’t)
- the execution was strong (or wasn’t)
Not because I launched in the week where half my potential supporters were eating cookies and forgetting what day it is.
So yes — the delay is a strategic choice.
And if you’re planning your own Product Hunt launch, I’d argue the same:
don’t launch when attention is scattered. launch when attention is concentrated.
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